People have been using meditation and visualization techniques for centuries, yet no one really knows exactly how or why the procedures work. But that’s all changing. The scientific reasons behind this metaphysical phenomenon are being revealed with our growing understanding of the subatomic world of quantum physics.

Infinitesimally smaller than the miniature world of atoms, subatomic entities like electrons, protons, and a multitude of other bodies in the quantum make up the essence of the physical universe.

While most of us would assume that tiny particles inside atoms are inanimate objects oblivious to our existence, a fundamental tenet of quantum physics is that we cannot observe the subatomic world without disturbing it. In other words, subatomic particles actually respond to the people watching them.

As strange as that statement sounds, scientists have proven time and again that if you do an experiment in the quantum and don’t watch the process, you’ll get one result. If you do watch the process, you’ll get a completely different one.

With every atom in our world made up of subatomic entities that respond this way, that fact has huge implications in our lives. It means that wherever you put your attention, you create change at the subatomic level, the very foundation of the world. It is up to you to select what you observe and where you place your attention. But once you do, the very act of your observation changes what happens in your physical reality.

Combine that truth with the boundless creative energy that lies within each of us-which we can harness and direct through the visualization process-and you begin to see the limitless potential for creating the life you want.

One recent example of how this phenomenon worked in my own life was after I went to my doctor about a recurring pain in my foot. He discovered the reason for this pain was a small fracture caused when one of the surgical screws he had put in place during surgery six months ago had broken. He instructed me to use a special device to heal the bone – a device that cost an unreasonable $1800 and had to be purchased directly from the manufacturer.

Relying on my own understanding of visualization and the world of quantum physics, I told myself this situation would not be a major problem. Right away, I pictured the bone in my foot smoothly fused together with an even, solid edge. I was careful to focus on the final results, not the process that would get me there. In fact, my visualization did not include any details at all, or information about what I would do to heal the bone. I put my attention on what I wanted-the healthy bone -not on what I had (the fracture) or even on how it would get better. In using that imagery, I instructed my reality to change. Now it was just a waiting game to see how my new reality would come to be.

Within a few hours, I visited a friend, mentioned the foot fracture to her and told her about the doctor’s recommendation for the device. My friend smiled and said, “You can have mine.” It turned out she had the same piece of overpriced medical equipment I needed, which she had used to recover from neck surgery a while back. “I’m not going to use it anymore, everything already healed.” I left her house with the device and instructions for using it. Not only did it cost me nothing, but I didn’t even have to drive out of my way to get it. The device was handed to me – practically on a silver platter!

Some may call this a coincidence, but I believe that the movement of subatomic entities in the quantum world, coupled with the power of visualization, was responsible for achieving those results. By putting my attention on healing my foot, my entire world rearranged at the subatomic level and coalesced into a new reality, one that included the means to a healthy foot.

In fact, according to quantum physicists, it is our very attention that causes subatomic entities to rearrange themselves in a paradox called wave/particle duality. Experiments have shown that it is our power of observation that affects the result of the experiment. Using electrons and a screen in one experiment, physicists proved that when the scientist observes the experiment, he or she will get one result, and when the action is not observed, the outcome will be different. Richard Feynman said of this phenomenon, “We must conclude that when we look at the electrons the distribution of them on the screen is different than when we do not look.”

Using results from the scientific laboratory as a role model for our lives, the idea is that you will bring about whatever it is you pay attention to. If you visualize what you want – truly focus on it – it will show up in your life.

Learning about those quantum experiments brought to my mind a real-life situation from several years ago when my friends Julie and Rob wanted to buy a house. They worried that they would not be able to get a loan because Rob still had to make monthly alimony payments to his ex-wife, which reduced the income he and Julie could provide. In addition, Rob’s credit had been tarnished during his divorce several years earlier. Regardless, the two of them sincerely wanted to own a house, so they put their fears aside and found the perfect place. It was a small but charming house beneath a redwood grove, a split-level home with a wood stove and three skylights. Out each of the windows was a beautiful forest view. Rob and Julie fell in love with the place and made an offer, which was accepted immediately.

Julie visualized owning the house in spite of their concerns about obtaining a mortgage.

Against Julie’s better judgment, Rob omitted the alimony information during the application process, which he felt was justified. After all, he thought, they had enough income to pay all their bills and would not hurt anyone by getting this loan.

Rob then requested a preliminary credit report and found there was a delinquency on an old loan that he’d shared with his ex-wife. If that joint loan showed up on the credit report used by the mortgage company, it could raise flags about alimony and the deal would be dead.

Julie kept on visualizing them in the house despite these complications. Her visualization never included any mention of the mortgage, credit reports, alimony, or any of the other obstacles they had to overcome. Her picture was always the same – the two of them living happily in that house.

Early one morning they got a call from their real estate agent. It was wonderful news! She told them their mortgage application was accepted and the house was theirs.

It was a week later that they learned what had actually happened. The mortgage company had used the same credit report as the preliminary one, and Rob’s delinquent loan had appeared, just as in the preliminary report. But this time, the loan detail labeled the loan as an individual loan. The J for joint, which they had both seen on the original credit report, was now unexplainable changed to an I for individual, a computer change that could not have taken place without someone deliberately typing it into the system. Yet neither Rob nor Julie had contacted the credit reporting bureau.

In addition, three months after they moved into the house Rob had a conversation with his ex-wife, who admitted she’d actually been working all along, which effectively reduced his alimony to zero. Julie believes she accomplished her goal by holding a vision. The key is not to get hung up on the details or let your fears get in the way. Instead, hold onto your dream and the subatomic world will respond.

About the author:
Natalie Reid, Ph.D. is a life coach in private practice in Northern California where she helps people make permanent changes and realize their dreams. In her new book, 5 Steps to a Quantum Life, due out October 2007 in neighborhood and online bookstores, Reid combines her 30 years exploration of psychology, meditation and the mind-body connection with her study of quantum physics. The book provides a process to change anything in your life and achieve your goals. To learn more about Reid and her new book, visit the web site featuring “5 Steps to a Quantum Life“.